SACRAMENTO –  As tradition now has it, on the weekend prior to St. Patrick’s Day, California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents and their local law enforcement partners conducted a statewide underage drinking enforcement operation, targeting those who furnish alcohol to those under 21.

Often referred to as a “Shoulder Tap” operation, agents and officers, with the help of a decoy under the age of 21, focused their attention of members of the public who agree to buy the decoy alcohol.  Under the direct supervision of law enforcement officers, the decoys stand outside of a liquor or convenience store and asks customers to buy them alcohol. The decoys always indicate they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol themselves. Adults who agree to purchase alcohol for the underage person and do so, can be arrested and cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service. 

Some of this year’s citations issued included a Modesto man who furnished alcohol to an 18-year-old, two people in Oxnard who purchased alcohol for the decoy, as well as two adults in Temecula.  

According to ABC, its agents teamed up with more than 50 law enforcement agencies throughout the state and issued more than 175 citations on March 9^th.

“A lot of publicity surrounds this event which is meant to educate the public, reduce underage drinking and drunk driving and increase public safety,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “We thank ABC agents and their law enforcement partners for working to keep us safe.”